Her. | Riley x Reader

𝟯) 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿?

The next day dawned as soon as the other, the sun's rays filtering through the blinds of Riley's messy room, as if it was mirroring her own mood.

In the control room of Riley's mind, Joy was practically bouncing off the walls, a grin plastered on her face. "Today's the day, everyone! We've got this!" she chirped, turning to the others.

Anxiety, hence the "planner", was less enthusiastic, but still cautious about you. "Alright, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We need to stick to the plan—keep things light, focus on the friendship, and stay calm."

Fear, already jittery, nodded in agreement. "What if we mess up? What if Y/n thinks we're weird?"

Joy rolled her eyes playfully. "Relax, Fear. We're going to have fun today. Riley's got this!"

Back in the real world, Riley rolled out of bed, smiling to herself as she started her morning routine. She spent extra time deciding what to wear, which she has never done for a girl, finally settling on her favorite hoodie and black leggings—classic Riley. She still was showing that she'd put some thought into it. (No girl) She glanced in the mirror, adjusting a few stray hairs as she tied her hair up into a ponytail. Clearly, today was going to be a good day.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Riley found herself drifting into daydreams during each period. Each time she thought of you she'd zone out in an instant thinking about all the possibilities and outcomes you two will have, classic teenager, but she quickly reminded herself to keep her cool, just as Anxiety had instructed. Friendship first, Riley... she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath and refocusing on the lesson.

In the control room, Anxiety watched Riley intently, holding her clipboard. "Okay, so far so good. Let's keep that energy grounded, team."

Joy, still radiating positivity, chimed in. "But let's not forget to enjoy the moment! This is a chance to really connect with Y/n."

The rest of the day passed in a blur, and finally, the last bell rang, signaling the end of school. Riley practically hopped off her seat and sped walk her way to the locker room to drop off her school bag and grab her hockey gear for the so called "bonding" event. She really didn't care for what they'd do, she just wants to see you. The team was gathering in the middle of the gym, where Coach Roberts had set up a series of activities designed to encourage teamwork and trust.

Cringe.

As Riley entered the gym, her eyes immediately scanned the room for you. When she spotted you across the way, talking with some of the other teammates, her heart dropped to her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was excitement or nerves—or maybe a bit of both—but either way, she felt so drawn to you. You have her wrapped around your finger.

You caught her eye and waved her down, skipping towards her. "Hey, you made it!" you said, happy she was here.

Riley's forced herself to not fawn at your feet after what you just said. "Wouldn't miss it," she replied nervously hoping she didn't sound stupid as hell.

The emotions were working overtime with how much Riley is feeling around you. Anxiety was monitoring every word, every gesture, making sure nothing was out of ordinary. Fear was on high alert, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble. Disgust and Anger stand back, but on alert if they need to jump in. Joy was helping push through Riley's nerves with a steady stream of positive energy.

As the team gathered around, Coach Roberts clapped her hands to get everybody's attention. "Alright, everyone, as you know today's about getting to know each other better off the ice. We've got a few games lined up, and I want to see you working together, having fun, and talking to new people. Nobody's sitting out. Remember, a strong team off the ice makes for a strong team on it!"